Screening of Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine and Its Derivatives for Their Binding Affinity to Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Protein Drug Targets

Recently Chloroquine and its derivative Hydroxychloroquine have garnered enormous interest amongst the clinicians and health authorities’ world over as a potential treatment to contain COVID-19 pandemic. The present research aims at investigating the therapeutic potential of Chloroquine and its potent derivative Hydroxychloroquine against SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. At the same time we have screened some chemically synthesized derivatives of Chloroquine and compared their binding efficacy with chemically synthesized Chloroquine derivatives through in silicoapproaches. For the purpose of the study, we have selected some essential viral proteins and enzymes implicated in SARS-CoV-2 replication and multiplication as putative drug targets.